Mattress foundation unit

ABSTRACT

In a mattress foundation unit made from corrugated board, an enclosure member is folded to form the top, sides and ends of a beam enclosure wherein hollow beam members provide structural support.

United States Patent 1 91 1111 3,913,154

Sweeney Oct. 21, 1975 15 MATTRESS FOUNDATION UNIT 2,707,514 5/1955 Smith 297/442 3,113,532 12/1963 White 108/56 [75] Inventor: Donald J. Sweeney, W1111amsv11le, 3l38806 6/1964 Goodman 6! 3| 5/345 R X 3,307,317 3/1967 Lynn 52/667 3.434,435 3/1969 Achermann et a1. 108/56 173] Asslgnee' Thomas Kenmore 3,666,165 5/1972 Osborne 108/56 [22] Filed: Feb. 4, 1974 3,736,605 6/1973 Klein 1. 5/348 WB [21] Appl. No.: 439,369 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Related U S Application Data 233,514 6/1959 Australia 52/755 [63] Continuation-impart of Ser, No, 324,897, Janv 18, y I

1973 abandoned. Prlmary Examiner-Paul R. G1ll1am Assistant Examiner-Andrew M. Calvert 52 us. c1 5/186 R; 5/345; 108/56 y. Agent, or FirmBrun$ & Jenner [51] Int. Cl. A47C 19/00; A47C 23/00 [58] Field of Search 5/186 R, 192, 341, 345 R, 57 ABSTRACT 5/351, DIG. 1, 345; 108/51, 56, 57, 58; 297/218, 462 442; 229H4 52/667 664 In a mattress foundatlon un1t made from corrugated board, an enclosure member is folded to form the top, [56] References Cited sides and ends of a beam enclosure wherein hollow Westerman 297/462 beam members provide structural support.

2 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent 0a. 21, 1975 Sheet 1 of 5 3,913,154

FIG.

US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet2 of5 3,913,154

Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 5 of 5 FIG. 8

MATTRESS FOUNDATION UNIT CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 324,897, filed Jan. 18, 1973, now abandoned by the same inventor under the same title.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to furniture, and more particularly to a mattress foundation unit of novel construction.

Recently, corrugated board has been used as a construction material for furniture. In one type of construction, laminated layers of corrugated board are used to provide furniture which is lightweight, sound absorbent and of pleasing appearance.

Another type of construction utilizes a casing wherein a plurality of reinforcing members are included to provide structural support. The invention of a chair disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,940,513 is exemplary of the reinforced casing.

A box spring for a bed is usually constructed from materials such as wood and metal. Typically, eighteen different components, including a wood base, a spring assembly, an insulator pad and a topper pad, are included in the box spring. The use of wood and metal as construction materials causes the box spring, and unassembled component parts thereof, to be large, heavy and expensive.

A mattress foundation or support that functions like a box spring but is made from corrugated board has heretofore been unknown in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a mattress foundation unit which is firm, lightweight and of low cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress foundation unit comprised of a minimum number of component parts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress foundation unit comprised of a minimum number of dissimilar component parts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress foundation unit comprised of lightweight components which may be stored in a small space for manufacturing ease and economy.

According to the present invention, a beam enclosure member has at least one hollow beam member disposed therein; said members are constructed from a resilient, foldable, material.

In the present invention, a mattress foundation unit may be constructed from die-cuts of corrugated board which may be shipped flat, easily stored and assembled. The mattress foundation unit, which can also be used as a mattress if necessary, is thereby suitable for providing mass bedding in the event of a natural disaster, such as a flood or an earthquake.

In one specific embodiment, the top of the mattress foundation unit is covered by a foam rubber or urethane sheet which serves as a mattress. The members comprising the foundation unit and the sheet are all lightweight and easily stored thereby being particularly suitable for providing bedding for campers as well as disaster victims.

ing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with a part broken away, of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the beam enclosure of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an enclosure member which may be used in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a transverse hollow beam member which may be used in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a longitudinal hollow beam member which may be used in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, with a part broken away, of a modification of the beam enclosure of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an enclosure member which may be used in the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a longitudinal hollow beam member which may be used in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a vertical section taken on lines 9-9 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. I0 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts broken away, of a transverse beam which may be used in the embodiment of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, a mattress foundation or support unit includes a corrugated board enclosure member 10 which is folded to provide integral sides 12, ends 14 and a top 15 which define a beam enclosure 16. Substantially covering the top 15 is a sheet 13 of foam rubber, urethane or other suitable material. Typically, the sheet 13 is about 2 inches thick, thereby serving as a resilient top for the foundation unit or as a substitute for the mattress itself. The enclosure member 10 and sheet 13 may be encased within a decorative cloth casing 17 thereby providing a mattress foundation unit having a pleasing appearance similar to that of a conventional box spring. If desired, member 10 and sheet 13 can be placed in a sealed, waterproof casing (not shown) of plastic film before being positioned in the casing 17.

Referring now to FIG. 2 wherein the beam enclosure 16 is shown in an upside down position, the sides 12 are folded to provide side supports 18 and side flaps 20. Similarly, the ends 14 are folded to provide end supports 22 and end flaps 24. Typically, the supports 18, 22 rest on a floor through the casing 17.

Positioned in the enclosure 16 are a plurality of corrugated board transverse hollow beam or box beam members 26 which have notches 28 for receiving the side flaps 20. The transverse beam members are thereby secured within the enclosure 16, and the sides 12 are maintained perpendicular to the top 15. The transverse beam members have notches 29 in the median portions thereof which are described more fully hereinafter.

Positioned in the enclosure 16 is a corrugated board longitudinal hollow beam member 30 which has transverse notches 32 corresponding to the notches 29 of the transverse beam members. The notches 29, 32 respectively receive the beam members 30, 26, thereby providing an interlocking connection therebetween. Longitudinal beam member 30 also has notches 33 which receive end flaps 24 whereby the ends 14 are maintained perpendicular to the top 15.

In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of staples 34 secure the supports 18, 22 to the beam members 26, 30, respectively.

Referring now to FIG. 3 illustrating the enclosure member in flat form as die-cut, broken lines 35, 36 respectively define the boundary between the top 15, the sides 12 and the ends 14. The beam enclosure 16 is formed by folding member 10 along the lines 35, 36 to cause the sides 12 and ends 14 to extend from the top 15 (in the same direction) at right angles.

In providing the supports 18, 22, sides 12 and ends 14 are respectively folded along broken lines 38, 40 to cause the supports 18, 22 to extend under and parallel to the top 15. The boundary between the side supports 18 and the side flaps 20 is defined by broken lines 42. Similarly, the boundary between the end supports 22 and the end flaps 24 is defined by broken lines 44. The sides 12 and ends 14 are folded along the lines 42, 44 to cause the flaps 20, 24 to be received by the notches 28, 33 (FIG. 2) as described hereinbefore.

Side tabs 45 may be formed integral with the sides 12 for bending and disposition inside the enclosure ends 14 (FIG. 2), the tabs being stapled or taped thereto for providing structural support at the corners of the enclosure I6. In the alternative, tabs may be formed integral with the ends 14 for disposition along the sides 12 and stapled or taped thereto.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the transverse beam members 26 are formed by folding the flat die-cut pieces along broken lines 46, 48 to cause the portions including the notches 29 to extend at right angles and thereby form a hollow beam.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the longitudinal beam member 30 is formed by folding the die-cut piece along the broken lines 50, 52 to form a hollow beam in the manner described hereinbefore.

FIG. 6 shows a modification of the beam enclosure 60 of the mattress foundation unit of this invention. Shown in an upside down position, the beam enclosure has sides 62, side supports 64, ends 66, end supports 68 and top 70. Supports 64 and 68 rest on the floor through any appropriate covering (not shown). Positioned in the enclosure is a corrugated board longitudi nal hollow beam 72 having a plurality of apertures 74 therethrough. Passing through these apertures are transverse hollow beams 76 of corrugated board. A plurality of staples 77 secure the supports 64 and 68 respectively to the beam members 76 and 72.

Referring now to FIG. 7 illustrating enclosure 60 in flat form as die-cut, broken lines 78, 80 respectively define the boundary between the top 70, the sides 62 and the ends 66. The enclosure member is formed by folding along lines 78, 80 to cause sides 62 and ends 66 to extend from the top 70 (in the same direction) at right angles. Sides 62 and ends 66 are folded respectively along broken lines 82, 84 to form the supports 64, 68 which extend under and parallel to top 70.

End tabs 85 may be formed integral with the ends 66 and folded along broken lines 86 for disposition along sides 62 as seen in the broken away portion of FIG. 6. In the alternative, the tabs may be formed integral with the sides 62 for disposition along ends 66. These tabs provide structural support at the corners of the enclosure 60.

Referring now to FIG. 8 illustrating the longitudinal hollow beam 72 in flat form as die-cut, by folding along broken lines 87, 88 and 90 and taping at meeting edges 92 and 94, a hollow beam with its sides at right angles is formed. The apertures 74 are formed in the longitudinal beam 72 by cutting along lines 96, 98 and folding along lines 100.

Transverse beams 76, FIGS. 9 and 10, are formed, similar to the longitudinal beam 72, by folding a die-cut corrugated board along three parallel fold lines (not shown). After taping along the meeting edges as done for the longitudinal beam 72, a hollow beam is formed with its sides at right angles. For added strength, a U- shaped support insert 102 formed by folding a die-cut corrugated board along two parallel fold lines (not shown) is received by each transverse beam 76. Further strength is obtained by having the corrugation I04 of the support insert 102 run perpendicular to the corrugation 106 of the transverse beam 76.

The transverse beams 76 are received within apertures 74 thereby forming a beam assembly 108 which is received within the enclosure member as best seen in FIG. 6. Alternatively, apertures can be fonned in the transverse beams in which the longitudinal beam is received.

Supports 64, 68 are connected by staples 77 to the extremities of the transverse and longitudinal beams, respectively, FIG. 6.

Thus there has been described a mattress foundation unit made from corrugated board. The corrugated board is typically the double wall type but may be of any suitable type. The members 10, 26, 30, 60, 72, 76 and 102 may be made from die-cuts of the corrugated board or provided in any other suitable manner. While the invention has generally been referred to herein as a mattress foundation unit, it will be understood from the description that this term is also intended to mean a mattress as well as a support when the unit is so used.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A mattress foundation unit comprising a substantially rectangular, unitary corrugated board enclosure member, the enclosure member having a horizontal, continuous top and a pair of sides and a pair of ends formed integrally with the top and depending therefrom to form a continuous vertical skirt around the periphery of the top, the enclosure member also including end and side supports formed integrally respectively with the enclosure ends and sides, the end and side supports being folded inwardly so as to be disposed in spaced, parallel relation to the top, a longitudinally extending independent hollow corrugated board beam member centrally disposed within the enclosure member, a plurality of transversely extending uncut hollow corrugated board beam members disposed within the enclosure member and passing through the longitudiwherein said transversely extending hollow beam memy extending member at substantially right angles bers have U-shaped insert members of corrugated thereto and means to secure the end and side Supports board positioned therein, the beam and insert members to the ends of the longitudinally and transversely exf h f tending beams whereby the latter provide internal rein- 5 bemg arranged so that the corruganons o t e omer forcement for th enclosure b run perpendicularly to the corrugations of the latter.

2. A mattress foundation unit as defined in claim 1 

1. A mattress foundation unit comprising a substantially rectangular, unitary corrugated board enclosure member, the enclosure member having a horizontal, continuous top and a pair of sides and a pair of ends formed integrally with the top and depending therefrom to form a continuous vertical skirt around the periphery of the top, the enclosure member also including end and side supports formed integrally respectively with the enclosure ends and sides, the end and side supports being folded inwardly so as to be disposed in spaced, parallel relation to the top, a longitudinally extending independent hollow corrugated board beam member centrally disposed within the enclosure member, a plurality of transversely extending uncut hollow corrugated board beam members disposed within the enclosure member and passing through the longitudinally extending member at substantially right angles thereto, and means to secure the end and side supports to the ends of the longitudinally and transversely extending beams whereby the latter provide internal reinforcement for the enclosure member.
 2. A mattress foundation unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said transversely extending hollow beam members have U-shaped insert members of corrugated board positioned therein, the beam and insert members being arranged so that the corrugations of the former run perpendicularly to the corrugations of the latter. 